My dear friend, Roshan, over at Awake and Dreaming has given me this lovely Bear Hug award. It arrived on a day when I was feeling a little down so it really cheered me up.

I ‘d like to pass it on to absolutely all of you because I want to give all of you a hug for keeping me company in the blogosphere. Thank you Roshan. You are a sweetie!

Do Rainy Days and Fridays get you down the way Rainy Days and Mondays do? Sometimes. Especially if it’s been raining all week.

Sometimes I enjoy a good old sombre mood where everything is tinged with shades of purple. It can be a relief to not have to paint your face with a happy look, to make the effort to be cheery, and just sit and meld with the descending darkness.

It can be a form of comfort to just sit and listen to the rain flickering on the windows and to wrap yourself in gloom. But sometimes in the rain the honeyeaters come – so quickly you almost miss them – to drink rain and pollen from deep pink camellia flowers.

It is enchanting to see them skim the tops of moss green branches as they search for suitable blossoms, flitting between sheets of rains like skiers on a slalom. Visibility is so bad that I become sure they must have visited the garden before and are flying purely from memory.

Watching them bounce and dart through the window spreads a little smear of happiness on the grey day. I want to run outside and thank them for visiting the rain-washed garden, for appearing so suddenly as hope often does after times of morose solitude.

I lift my umbrella from the doorhandle where I have left it to drip and run to greet them – but they have gone, a spray of pollen on pink petals that is quickly turning orange with the rain; the only evidence that they ever visited at all.

Many congratulations on your award. I honestly believe citations like these from the hearts of trusted friends beat a Nobel any day. At least there is no politics involved.

I also want to reiterate what others have said about your writing ability. You have a very special connection from your spirit to your fingertips that type out your message. You are truly a woman of great depth and sensitivity.

I love rainy days. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough in sunny Southeast Florida. But when they come, I love to just be, experience my inner experience to the max and just go with the ebb and flow of the Universe.

My dear, there was a time I used to be concerned about allowing my feelings of hurt, confusion, disappointment and depression to surface, for I just didn’t believe — and with justification — that the average person could understand. Today, I no longer care. I feel my feelings to the fullest until they pass, for if I don’t allow myself to do so, they never will.

I remember being depressed one day years ago and confiding in my father, never known for his depth. His response is one I never forgot: “Glenn, only idiots don’t get depressed!”

PAISLEY – to see those little birds just appear from nowhere and frolic in the rain is like a moment of real magic. It makes me realise that there is a lot in life to be thankful for. Once again, thank you for all your encouragement. You are the best.

LINDA – it’s been a rough winter in many parts of the world, hasn’t it? My sister lives in North Carolina and says it’s been very cold. Enjoy getting your garden ready, and I think I will make some soup. Just what I feel like!

GROOVY – awww, you are so sweet. You truly are a dear friend!

GERALDINE – I am so glad I found you too. Looking forward to more of your wonderful poetry.

GLENN – how kind you are to say all those things. I am really touched. I agree with your thoughts on depression. Years ago I used to try and block out any negative feelings but now I’m like you, I dive into those feelings. It is a way of coping with them for me and it always surprises me how well acknowledging them turns out. Your father sounds like a very wise man!

KAREN – any time, my dear. Hopefully, one day we will be able to sit together and chat. I would love that!

I loved hearing about the Honeyeaters and followed the link you supplied to learn more about them. Sometimes I appreciate rainy days, but mostly I long for sun. I’m reading a book right now that I’m loving – I think you might enjoy it. It’s by Miriam Greenspan, Healing through the dark emotions: The wisdom of grief, fear, and despair.